This invention relates generally to equipment housings, and more particularly to a retractable handle assembly for use in conjunction with an equipment housing wherein in its retractable position the handle is stored flush with the housing, and in its extended position is positioned for convenient lifting of the equipment housing clear of an underlying surface.
Electronic equipment, such as test instruments and various types of medical instruments, must often be carried from one location to another. In order to facilitate movement of such equipment the equipment is preferably provided with handles which can be grasped to lift the equipment clear of an underlying surface and to support the equipment as it is conveyed to another location. However, such handles are preferably removable or capable of being retracted when not in use in order to eliminate the danger of inadvertent contact with the protruding handles, as well as to facilitate placement of the equipment in confined spaces.
The above problems are particularly significant in the medical electronics field, wherein it is necessary to frequently move sophisticated electronic equipment from one location to another, as when disconnecting the equipment from one patient and connecting it to another. Furthermore, in the environment of a hospital the equipment must often be operated in confined areas, so that the existence of protruding handles must be avoided.